Friction-clutch.



H. W. NIGHOALDS.

FRICTION CLUTCH. APPLICATION FILED 00110, 1910.

WITNESSES. LN VENTOR.

COLUMBIA PLANonRAPH 0.. WASHINGTON, 1; c.

Patented Dec. 12, 1911.

uxrr 1. s ra'rnis n HARRY W. NICHOALDS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORTO JOHN B. WI-IELAN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

FRICTION-CLUTCH.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY 1V. NIoHoALDs a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, county of WVayne, State of Michigan, have inventeda certain new and useful Improvement in Friction-Clutches, and declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to friction clutches.

It has for its object an improved clutch for coupling shafts.

In the drawings :Figure 1, is a section longitudinal of the shaft axisthrough the engaging parts of the coupling head. Fig. 2, is a sideelevation of the expanding clutch member.

The clutch consists essentially of two members, one of which is dividedinto two parts forming a chamber with opposed conically shaped frictionsurfaces and the other of which is divided into four parts that extendradially. The two part member is hollow and presents friction faces thatengage on both sides of the corresponding friction faces of the multiplepart expanding member. The multiple part expanding member issubstantially a double cone divided into segmental parts which expandradially with respect to the axis of the double cone. The two partmember is a double hollow cone,

- the faces of which remain in constant relation to each other.

The two part member 1 of the clutch consists of a case or shell 2adapted to be secured to one of the shafts or some mechanism connectedwith one of the shafts. In the drawing it is shown as secured by beltsor screws 3 to the fly wheel 4: on the driving shaft 5. The shell 2contains a friction member 6 which may be made as a separate piece ormay be made integral with the shell; preferably the shell is made ofsome material that can be turned or stamped such as steel and thefriction part 6 is made of other material that is more suitable forfriction grip. It may be cast iron, aluminium, copper or any of thematerials which present a greater frictional resistance than the shellmember. To the part 1 is secured the opposed bearing friction member 7made 55 preferably of the same material as friction Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed October 10, 1910.

PatentedDec. 12, 1911.

Serial No. 586,185.

member 6 and secured either directly to the shell or to the lining asmay be most convenient. The requisite feature of construction is thatthe two frictional parts 6 and 7 lie opposite the one to the other withan internal cavity that is doubly conical in shape. The member 7 has acentral aperture through which passes the end of the driven shaft 8. Theend of the driven sh aft is either squared or provided with some similarmeans for holding the sleeve 9 that turns with the shaft, but slipsfreely along the axis of the shaft within the limits of movement allowedto it. The sleeve 9 has an external part 10, a wedge bearing part 30that projects from the external part and extends from the neck 11 to itsterminal 12. which terminal is located deeply within the two partfriction member 1. The external part of the bushing is provided withcentral perforation that corresponds with the end of the axle 8, eithera square perforation or some similar construction by means of which itcan be secured to turn with the shaft 8 and slide along the axisthereof. That part of the sleeve 9 which is located within the two partfriction member 1 is provided with a cylindrical cavity 13 in which islocated a spring 14 that bears against the bottom 15 of the cavity andat the open end of the cavity bears against a washer 16 interposedbetween the end of the shaft 8 and the end of the shaft 5. The washer 16is preferably a compound washer consisting of disk 16, disk 17 andinterposed ball containing cage 18 making an antithrust bearing betweenthe sleeve 9 in which the spring is located and the end of the shaftUpon the sleeve 9 and the wedging part are longitudinal wedge shapedribs 19 having their broad end or wide end directed toward the end ofthe shaft 5 and their narrow end toward the neck 11 of the sleeve 9.These wedges e11- gage in reverse wedge shaped cavities provided withmetallic linings 20 in segments 21. There are a number of segments 21forming a clutch and which equal in number the ribs 19, and each segmentis provided with its metallic lined wedge shaped cavity 20; each one ofthe segments engages over its proper rib and all of the segments areheld together by a spring binding split ring 22. The external end of thesleeve 9 engages against a fixed block 23 preferably with an interposedanti-friction end thrust bearing comprising disks 24 and 25 and. ball.cage 26. The block 23 is mounted on the shaft 8, which passes through ahole in the block and the block is provided with an actuating lever 29properly pivoted to any fixed member and arranged to actuate the block23 to push it and the sleeve 9 in a direction toward the end of theshaft 5 and thereby loosen the wedge shaped ribs 19 in their sockets,and allow the friction segments 21 to contract toward the axis of theshaft 8 and revolve freely in the double cone cavity of the member 1.Upon releasing pressure on the lever 29 the spring 14 acts to press thewedges into their cavities, expanding the segments and bringing theparts into frictional clutch.

As described, this clutch is arranged to maintain a constant conditionof the frictional clutch, removed only when the pressure is exerted onthe lever 29, but the parts can be readily reversed and arranged to runfree at times when the pressure is not put upon thelever. The segmentsengaging on the ribs 19 are always in rotative relation with the sleevefrom which the ribs spring and are consequently always in rotativerelation with the shaft 8 upon which the sleeve 9 is held to rotate.

hat I claim is 1. In a friction clutch in combination with a drivingshaft a casing fixed thereto and provided with a cavity havingoppositely inclined friction faces, a plurality of radially arrangedfriction members adapted when expanded to engage said friction faces,wedge members adapted to engage therebetween, whereby said frictionmembers may be forced centrifugally, resilient means for normallyholding said wedge members in expanding position with reference to saidfriction members, and means for releasing said wedge members and therebysaid frictional members from such position, thereby terminating thefrictional engagement, substantially as described.

2. In a friction clutch, in combination with a shaft driven memberhaving a cavity with relatively fixed oppositely inclined frictionsurfaces, radially movable members adapted to frictionally engage saidfriction surfaces, a driven shaft, means carried by said driven shaftfor holding said radially movable members in contact with said fric tionsurfaces, and means for moving said members centripetally to a positionof nonengagement with said friction surfaces, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a clutch, in combination with a pair of coaxially arranged shaftsa casing provided with oppositely inclined bearing faces, carried by oneof said shafts, a plurality of radially movable friction membersrotatably arranged about the other of said shafts, a washer between theadjacent ends of the shafts, a sleeve provided with wedge faces fixed tothat shaft about which said friction members are arranged, means fornormally maintaining said sleeve in expanding position with respect tosaid friction members, and means for changing said sleeve member fromsaid normal position.

4. In a clutch, the combination of a driving shaft, a driven shaft inalinement therewith, a casing provided with oppositely inclined frictionfaces, carried by one of said shafts, said faces being maintained inconstant relation to one another, a plurality of radially movablefriction members engaging within said casing, a sleeve provided withwedge faces, keyed to the other shaft, means for holding said frictionmembers in engagement with the friction faces of the cas ing, means foryieldingly holding the friction members out of engagement with thefriction surfaces of said casing, and means for actuating said sleevelengthwise of its shaft out of centrifugally actuating contact with saidmovable friction members, whereby they are released from positiveengagement with the friction surfaces of said casing, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a clutch, the combination of a casing having a cavity providedwith friction surfaces of opposing angularity maintained in constantrelative relation, a shaft to which the same is fixed coaxiallytherewith, a second shaft in alinement with said first shaft, a sleeveprovided with inclined hearing faces keyed to'said second shaft thoughmovable lengthwise thereof, means for mov ing said sleeve lengthwise ofsaid second shaft, and a plurality of radially movable friction membersinterposed between the friction surfaces of said casing and the bearin gfaces of said sleeve, adapted to be forced into and out of engagingposition with respect to said friction surfaces according to thelongitudinal movement of said sleeve along its supporting shaft,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

HARPY W. NICE ALDS. lVitnesses CHARLES F. BURTON, VIRGINIA C. SPRATT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

